Make public drivers stow phones

In its own way, on certain people, a cellphone works like alcohol or drugs.

In its own way, on certain people, a cellphone works like alcohol or drugs.

It tempts them. They use the device, then they can't put it down. It clouds their judgment, until — bam! Real life intervenes.

Federal accident investigators said Tuesday that kind of distraction contributed to a fatal helicopter crash two years ago in Missouri. The pilot had been texting. Meanwhile, he skipped pre-flight safety checks, one of which would have shown the copter was low on fuel. The pilot and his three passengers all died. Now the National Transportation Safety Board officials has issued a safety alert, cautioning pilots against using cellphones or other distracting devices during critical operations.

A caution not to use? Vehicle operators should be required to stow their phones out of reach.

Boston's Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority chief issued just such a ban on even carrying a cellphone four years ago after he learned that a trolley driver was texting his girlfriend right before the underground car crashed, injuring 50. He must have realized that a use ban wasn't enough — that the devices can burn a hole in a susceptible user's pocket. The year before, the engineer on a Los Angeles Metrolink commuter train had been text messaging just before the vehicle ran a red light and crashed into a freight train. Twenty-five people died, more than 130 injured.

Almost anyone can observe the lure of cellphones. Just watch two kids together, each with a phone. Rarely do they talk to each other. Rather, they stare, mesmerized, at the tiny screen, pushing buttons, absorbed in a remote conversation. Adults are vulnerable, too, as crashes amply show.

No person operating a vehicle should be texting too. Personal car, commercial truck, helicopter, train, airplane — all can and do crash. Allowing drivers, operators or pilots — who carry a heavy burden of trust — to carry a phone just introduces the risk of distraction. That risk can be fatal. No one should die because someone in charge of a moving vehicle was texting at the wheel.